Oscillating fan.



PaBIled July 12, 1910.

z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Indenoor h Eerkeractie/Sy R. E. BARKER. OSGILLATING FAN. APPLIUATION FILED Nov. 29, 1902. 963,849.

Pig. 4.

witnesses R. E. BARKER. OSGILLATING FAN. APPLIUATION FILED Nv. 29, 1902.

' Patented July 12, 1910.

2 BHBBTSSHBET 2.

(Dit/messes UNITED STATES PATET OFFICE.

RALPH n. minnen, or LYNN, Massa crusnr'rs, Assrclon ro GENERAL ELEcTBIe COMPANY, A CORPORATION or NEW Yomr.

OSGILLATNG FAN.

Patented July 12, 1'910.

Application led November 29, 1902. Serial No. 133,176.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH E. Beltman, a citizen of the United States, residlng at Lynn, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oscillating Fans, of whlch the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is the production of an improved form of Ventilating fan which is automatically oscillated by mea-ns of the action of the air currents produced by the fan.

My invention contemplates the use of two or more screens or dempers placed in the path of the air currents produced by the fan. The screens are placed one or more on each side of the axis of oscillation of the fan body and are so connected and arranged that each screen may be alternately closed to form a barrier in the path of the air current and opened to relieve the obstruction to the progress of the air current. Preferably the screens are placed back of the fan blades and are arranged so as to form a substantially air-tight barrier behind one half of the .fan during the period of a. half oscillation. The reaction bet-Ween the other half of the fan und the air rotates the fan about its axis of oscillation. Means are provided for automatically opening the closed screen or dainper at the completion oi. the desired movement of the fan in one direction and the closing of the open screen or damper on the other side to produce the movement of the fan in the opposite direction.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference may be had to the accompanyin drawings in which l have illust-rated one orm of fun embodying my invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front eleva tion; Fig. 2 is a plan view with parts broken away and in section; Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3*-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a detail taken on the linel-4. of Fig. 1.

A fan-carrying post 1 is revolubly mounted on the base or support 2 by means of a shaft 3 which may be rigidly connected to one of these members and rotatably connected to the other. Rotatably mounted on the shaft 3 between the base 2 and ost l is a disk 4. Pockets 5 formed in t is disk near its periphery receive balls 6. The balls 6 are held by the disk 4 between the base 2 and a bottom plate 7 onthe post and' serve to sustain the weight of the fan and to allow it to oscillate about the shaft 3 with a minimum amount of friction.

At the upper end of the post 1 an electric motor 8 is conventionally shown. At one end of the motor shaft 8', which is preferably perpendicular to the shaft 3, are located fan bla es 9 of the usual construction. Surrounding the fan blades is the wire work guard frame 10 carried by support-ing arms 1l extending from the motor casing and the ost.

p A pair of horizontal bars 12 are carried by the guard frame 10 and mounted in these bars 12 are the two screens or dempers 13 and 14. The two screens are formed of one or more pivoted blades 13', 14', respectively. These blades are similar and may be formed of sheet metal rovided with stilfening inembers 132, 142 o wire, the said Wire members being extended to form journals which are pivoted in the cross bars 12.

Each screen blade is provided at its bottom with an offsetportion 16 which is pivotally connected to a reciprocating bar 17. The reciprocating bar 17 is provided at its middle point- With an ope-ning 18 in which the upper end of a lever 19 plays. The lever 19 is pivoted to the post 1 and is so shaped that its lower end is in position to be engaged by a air of studs 20 mounted in holes21 in the ase piece 2.

The blades 13 and 14 are so connected to the bar 17 that when the blades ot cit-her screen are turned into position parallel to the bar 17 those forming the other screen are )erponflicular thereto. As shown on the cirowings when the blades of one setare turned parallel to t-he bar 17 their edges overlap, thus forming a. substantially mrtight screen behind one half of the aren swept by the fan blades'.

Intead of shaping thc screen or dempers to form an air-tight barrier it will of course be understood that the could be constructed so as to form a consi erable impediment to the assage of the air currents leadm toward) one side of the fan without entirely obstruct-in such currents, as with tlus construction t e desired unbalanced effects upon the opposite sides of the fan would be secured and the desired oscillation of the fan produced.

The opera-tion of my fan 1s as follows: In the osition of the fan shown 1n Figs. 1 and 2 t e blades 13 are set to form a closed screen and the blades 14 are set so as to oppose practically no resistance to the assage of the air currents induced by the an. Assuming the fan to be rotatlng so as to move the air in the direction indicated by the small arrows in Fig. 2, then, by'the ord nary laws of action and reaction, 1t will be seen that there is a torce acting on the fan blades at the right as seen from the front of the an tending to turn the fan in the dxrection indicated by the large arrow 1n Flg. 2, and since the screen 13 is set to form a closed barrier this force is unbalanced and the fan will rotate in the direction of the arrow. The fan will continue rotating until the lower end of the lever 19 engages the stud 20. This will oscillate the lever 19 which by its engagement with the walls o the slot 18 will move the bar 17 so as to throw the fan blades 14 parallel to the bar 17, forming a closed screen on the righthand side of the fan and lpening the blades 13 as to no longer impe air to the fan on the left-hand side, wheren upon the ian will begin to rotate in the opposite direction.

As is clearly shown in the drawings, the screen or damper blades 13 and 14 are not symmetrical with respect to their axes 132 and 14:2, the underlying side as viewed from the front of the :fan being considerably nar rower than the op site side. By reason of this construction t e action of the fan upon the blades when set to form a. closed screen is to tend to hold them in the closed position. Instead of entirely shutting oii' the air supply on the closed side the screens or dam ers may be arranged to merely reduce the ow at that side.

A plurality of holes 21 are formed in the base member 2 so that the distance between the studs 2O and 20' can be adjusted, and by that means the throw of the fan can be regulated. The outer detlector blades may be cut away as indicated at 22 in'order to clear the guard frame.

While a fan may be constructed in which a pair of alternately opening and closing screens can be arranged 1n front of the fan,

e the passage of the arrangement which I have shown in the drawings 1s to be preferred, as by its use a much better diffusion of air can be obtained `than when defiectin guides or screens of any kind are placer 1n front of the fau. Moreover with my construction the unl slghtly appearance which has heretofore characterized fans of this general type is done away with. The fan which I have shown and described is easily and cheaply made and is of good mechanical construction.

The construction which I have illustrated and described is the best embodiment of my invention which is now known to me, but I do not intend to be limited to the exact form of construction shown and described as I consider many variations could be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Although the oscillating mechanism shown and described is especially useful in connection with electric fans, it is not limited to use in connection therewith as it can readily be applied to fans driven in other ways.

lWhile the screens or dampers are preferably carried by the oscillating fan structure, it is not essential that this should be so, as if it is desirable they may be mounted on some fixed su port.

IVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is,

l. In combination, a. fan for producing air currents, and automatically actuated means for periodically stopping the flow of the air currents through a portion only,r of the space traversed by said air currents.

i2. In combination, a fan for producing air currents, and automatically actuated means for periodically1 varying the proportion of air currents passing to different parts of the fan.

3. In combination, a fan for producin air currents, and automatically actuated means for alternately establishing a barrier across the path of a portion of the current produced by said fan to sto i said ortion of the current and again is-estabishing said barrier.

4. In combination, a fan rotating about an axis to produce air currents and automatically actuated means for alternately establishing a barrier at one side of said axis in the path of the currents produced by said fan to stop the currents at that side and again dis-establishing said barrier.

5. In combination, a fan rotating about au axis to produce air currents, and uutomatically actuated means for establishing and discstablishing a barrier in the path of the air currents produced by said fan alter nately on opposite sides of said axis to essere thereby imbalance the back thrust of the fan.

6. In combination, a fan for producing air currents, and automatically actuated means for alternately establishing and discsiablishing a barrier in tho path of the currents produced b said fan, said barrier being so constructe that when once established the air current-s tend to maintain 1t.

7. In combination, a fan rotating about an axis to produce air currents and adapted to oscillate about an axis substantially perpendicular to said first mentioned axls, and means for oscillating said fan about Sald second named axis, said means comprising a pair of screens arranged one at each slde of said first named axis, and means operated by the oscillation of the fan for opening and closing said screens alternately.

8. In combination, a support, afan mounted to oscillate upon said support, a plurality of screens mounted in the path of the currents produced by said dan, and means for opening and closing said screens.

9. In combination, a support, a rotating fan pivotally mounted on said support, a plurality of screens placed in the path of the currents produced by said fan, and means controlled by the operation of the fan for opening and closing said screens.

10. In combination, a base. a rotary fan :mounted to oscillate on said base, a pair of screens placed in line with the air currents roduced by said fan, and means controlled by the fan for opening and closing the screens.

11.. In combination, a base, a rotary fan mounted to oscillate upon said base, a pair of screens located in the path of the currents produced by said tan, said screens being connected together so that when one screen i is closed the other is open, and means for opening and closing said screens.

l2. In combination, a base, a rotary fau mounted to oscillate upon said base., a pair of screens located in the path of the air currents produced by said fan, said screens being connected together so that when one screen is open the other one is closed, and automatically actuated means for operating said screens.

i3. ln combination, a base, a rotary fan mounted. to oscillate upon said base, a pair .f

ot screens located in the path of air currents produced hy said fan, and means coutrolled by thel oscillation of the fan for alternately opening one screen and closing the other.

sistng of blades pivoted unsymmctrically, and stops limitin the pivotal movement of said blades wher )y when the barrier is once established the air currents tend to maintain it.

l5. In combination, a base, a rotary fan mounted to oscillatc upon said base, a pair of screens placed in the path of the currents produced by said fan, euch of said screens consisting of one or more movable blades, the blades forming one screen being connected to those forming the other screen so that when blades of one screen are turned to form a closed screen those of the other screen may be turned to form an open screen, and means controlled by the oscilla` tions of the fan for periodically moving the blades forming one screen from the open position to the closed position and then back to the open position.

16. In combination, a. base, a support pivotally mounted on said base, a rotary fan mounted on said support with its axis of rotation at an a le to the pivotal axis of the support, an automatically actuated means for creating a. barrier in the path of the currents produced by the fan alternatelyr on opposite sides of the pivotal axis of the support.

17. The combination with a fan wheel re` voli-ing in a support mounted to oscillate, of means located behind the fan wheel and controlled by the operation of the fan for periodically causing the air current set in mot-ion by the fan wheel to act upon the latter to oscillate said support.

18. The combination with a fan mounted to oscillate about an axis, of means controlled by the oscillations of said fan for periodically establishing a barrier in the path of the currents generated by the fan alternately on opposite sides of said axis to cause said fan to oscillate.

19. In combination, a fan for producing air currents, and means for perodicall stopping the flow of the air currents thro 0' a portion onlyr ot' .the space traversed y said air currents.

E20. ln combination, a fan for producing` air currents, and means for periodically varying the proportion of air currents passing` to the diterent parts of the fan.

2l.. In combination, a. fan for producing air currents, and means for alternately 14. In comliiination, a fan for producing g air currents. an automatically actuated means for alternately establishing and discstabhshmg a barrier m the path of the curtahlishing:- a barrier across the path of u. portion ot the current produced by said fan E to stop sa id portion of the current. and again dis-establishlng saul barrier.

E22. The combination, of a. fun-Wheel rc- Yoh-iup in a support mounted to oscillatc.

and l'ncaus located behind the 'full-wheel and controlled by the oicratlon ot' the fan for rents produced by said fan, said barrier conl periodically establis ling a barrier ou opposite sides of the wheel axis alternately tol said axis to thereby unbalance the back 10 cause the nir current seb in motion by the thrust of the fan.

:fnmwheel to act upon the lutter and oscil- In witness whereof I have hereunto set late said support. my hund this twenty-fth day of November,

23. In combination, a fan rotatin about 1902.

am axis to reduce air currents, an means RALPH E. BARKER.

for establishing and dis-establishing a bzu'- "Witnesses:

rer in the path of the air currents produced DUGALD MCK. MCKILLOP,

by said fan alternately on opposite sides of JOHN A. MUMANUS. 

